


the middle of tomorrow and forever

by paddyfields (lucitae)



Series: and miles to go before i sleep [2]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Future Fic, M/M, Slice of Life, lapslock
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-16
Updated: 2020-04-16
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:07:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,260
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23682115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lucitae/pseuds/paddyfields
Summary: it's not a life shattering or game changing realization.just something he's known all along.
Relationships: Kageyama Tobio/Tsukishima Kei
Series: and miles to go before i sleep [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1705201
Comments: 4
Kudos: 81





	the middle of tomorrow and forever

**Author's Note:**

  * For [akanemnida](https://archiveofourown.org/users/akanemnida/gifts).



> happy birthday! thank you for dragging me into this hell hole and opening my eyes to kagetsuki ; ^ ; i hope your birthday is a memorable one!
> 
> once again a shoddy characterization and an unbeta'd mess

third drawer — counting from the right side of the sink. tobio's hand waves uselessly in the air, fingertips coming into contact with nothing. to think the scent of curry boiling in the pot would make him forget that he is no longer home. he smiles to himself as he digs through the drawers for a ladle and a separate spoon.

( _dry your hair_ , tsukishima nags, palm shoved against tobio's forehead as tobio stubbornly perches his chin atop tsukishima's shoulder. he doesn't budge until tsukishima caves: doling out a chunk of potato, purposefully brushing aside meat, and holding it out for tobio to savor. )

tobio raises the spoon to his lips for a taste.

it's wrong.

obviously.

his favorite brand of curry cubes can't be bought here. the apples are more tart and less cripsy. the local grocery store doesn't stockpile short grain rice.

tobio shovels another mouthful of curry and rice into his mouth as he taps open line. tsukishima's photo taunts him. for a moment the food in his mouth almost tastes like the curry tsukishima makes.

they say homesickness is common in the first few weeks to months of moving. tobio thinks he'll probably be more upset if this feeling ever goes away.

tobio swears he's snatched newspapers a few days ago. might have accidentally tossed them. he sighs. it's a waste but he unfurls two napkins and lays them side by side. the soft sound of the nail clippers at work fills the empty space.

tsukishima always brought back the daily news paper. tobio isn't sure if tsukishima reads them or not. but without fail — like clockwork — they would get replaced. and once a week tobio would find them outside the bathroom door after his shower, where he would unfold the paper and maintain his nails.

it's the sort of silent arrangement one comes to and takes for granted.

tobio looks up from his trimmed nails and wonders when these things have become precious to him.

one of his teammates brings up his wife's obsession with a new patisserie in town. its on his way home so he drops by. ( an extra two blocks still counts as _on the way home_. ) the shop is bustling with patrons. the glass display is stocked with an assortment of pastel shaded macarons, various slices of cake, and seasonal mousse and pudding. it's not hard to pick out the strawberry shortcake amongst them.

and out of habit he purchases a slice instead of snapping a photo and sending it tsukishima's way.

he still sends a picture later on. and is met by a huffy _so how does it taste?_ that draws out a chuckle from tobio as he reminisces those days. at first it was only on special occasions. and then more frequently. one time both of them brought back slices of cake on the same day. then, as if on a quest to become a connoisseur, they made their rounds through all of sendai's bakeries. so his _a little better than boul'ange_ reply is probably something only tsukishima can understand.

the sweet cream in his mouth is offset by the strawberry's natural sourness. but nothing rounds it off as well as tsukishima look of utter betrayal. tobio had purposefully timed finishing the slice of cake with tsukishima's video call. he licks the last bit of cream off his fork and laughs when he notices how red tsukishima's ears are.

the indignant _you!_ has his cheeks sore from how wide his lips have stretched. the sound of tsukishima's voice fills tobio's apartment, making him feel a little closer to home.

before he realizes it, the autumn leaves have all fallen. the branches are barren. the ground littered with dried brown leaves as if they weren't in vibrant shades of red, orange, and yellow just a week ago. at some point tobio had started to wrap a scarf around his neck. a present from two— no maybe three years ago. they had just walked out of the grocery store when tobio realized how inadequately dressed for the weather he was. a long sleeved tracksuit sufficed for an evening jog, but that didn't hold true when he joined tsukishima at the grocery store afterwards. tsukishima had unceremoniously bundled tobio with his own scarf. the excuse being _you're a pain in the neck when you're sick, king_. and so tobio stole half the bags from tsukishima's hand and replaced it with his own. because tsukishima is also a pain when he catches a cold, or so tobio had excused all those years ago. the walk home that day was silent but his neck and hand was warm.

tobio looks up at the branches while tugging the scarf over his nose. the detergent they share back at the apartment in sendai has been washed off long ago.

this silent wish for someone to be here serves as an answer.

the when is less important, just like how it is impossible to pinpoint the exact day when one season transitions to the next. what matters is that his heart has long belonged to another.

his condition is at its peak today. there's a sense of clarity that comes with it. the harsh lights of the stadium, the squeak of shoes, the positions of all his teammates, where the opposing setter is likely to send the ball, where the blockers are likely to appear.

tobio's fingertips touch the ball.

here's tobio's conclusion to the awakening in the crisp winter air: he's not going to turn back on his dreams for this longing alone. their bond is not so weak as to be swayed by distance. this thing called faith and trust is something the guys in black and orange jerseys have taught him a long time ago.

everything boils down to the basics.

his hitters are always ready. no matter where he sends it, they will connect.

tobio grins.

someone, an ocean away, is probably awake and live streaming this.

this may not be for him. but nonetheless tobio knows, when the sound of the ball is whacked by a hitter's hand and is sent over the net, he's out there watching and analyzing. _supporting_ despite the divergence in paths. because at the end of the day there is only one place he returns to.

so instead of agonizing over every little thing and shouldering the weight alone, do what you always do — send the ball up, make them dance, and have faith that he will meet you halfway.

"i want to see you," tobio says towards the end of their chat — setting it up the way tsukishima likes it: a little bit away from the net, with enough time to make his own play. tobio watches, amused, as red creeps its way into tsukishima's cheeks and tinges his ears.

tsukishima hides his expression behind the rim of his mug but tobio has known him long enough to know what sort of expression he's making. ( he's probably better than yamaguchi at this point, if tobio doesn't say so himself. )

"i covered holiday shifts for my coworkers," tsukishima says after clearing his throat and schooling his expression, connecting, "i can probably squeeze two weeks."

tobio had assumed he would be the one going back to japan. the gesture stirs his chest. the smile can no longer be warded off.

"so when do you have time?" tsukishima asks.

they'll hash out the details later on who will be visiting whom. but for now tobio lets his mind run a little, imagining all the places tsukishima can be introduced to.


End file.
